I have so many memories of times where things happened that just were not right. Here is where I will try to make sense of it all.
12 years old, a runaway, living on the streets of Victoria. Crashing at one friend's place or another, until there were no more places to stay. I used to hitchhike a lot - I did not have bus fare, and when I needed to go somewhere I would stick out my thumb and hope for the best.
One time, a man - probably about 30 years old, picked me up and took me back to his place. He said he would feed me. Once we got there, he did not give me food. Instead he took me to his bedroom and did the same things to me that my stepfather would do. I remember laying on his bed, looking at the night table which held a picture of him and a very pretty woman - arms around each other. This was at the Gorge Road apartments in Victoria. When he was done, he gave me some money and sent me on my way. I felt so ashamed, and dirty. And hungry. I did not know what else to do so I returned to the flop house I was staying at on Princess Avenue.
Another time, I must have been 13 or 14. I had been in Vancouver with my then boyfriend. He said that he knew where we could get a car to drive around in, so I went with him. We ended up in a nice neighborhood and he took me to a truck that we hopped in and off we went. He had the keys so I thought it must be okay. About an hour later, after driving around, we saw the police behind us. They pulled us over, and arrested us for stealing a car. Stealing a car??? I thought he had permission. Off we went to the police station in Port Coquitlam. It may have been Coquitlam. They kept me for the night then released me in the morning. I had no money, nowhere to go. I headed out to the road and started hitch-hiking - trying to get back to downtown Vancouver where at least I knew some people. A car - a red Rogue (sp) picked me up. A man, about 40, big bushy beard, picked me up. He asked where I was going, then said he would take me downtown when I said I needed to go to Granvilled Street. He drove just a little ways before pulling off onto a dirt road by the river. I got scared. He said he wanted to show me the river. He parked the car, locked the doors, then offered me some cocaine. I tried to sniff it, but I blew out and it went everywhere. He got so mad. He pulled out a big knife, and sexually assaulted me. I was crying and so scared that he was going to stab me. He finished then drove me back to the middle of Port Coquitlam and pushed me out of the car. I was crying, terrified, and a store owner came out and called the police. They police came and took my statement. Eventually they found this guy, and because I had memorized his license plate (LGA 627???) number they were able to make an arrest. Long story short- when it came time to go to court - I went....he went....but the judge found him not guilty as the judge said since I was a 'woman of the world' and those were his exact words...that no crime was committed. Since I was a runaway, I guess it was okay for anyone to hurt me. I lost my faith in the justice system for good that day.
12 or 13 years old, living down on Granville Street as a runaway. Holding dope for the dealers at the McDonalds, and making enough money to get someone over 18 to rent me a room in one of the rundown hotels there. Easy enough, they paid for the room and I would jump on a dumpster in the back alley and climb up the fire escape to the room. First time was pretty scary, especially when I found the bathroom was not in my room but at the end of the hallway. It was disgusting. Garbage and needles were all over the floor, the toilets were overflowing, it was just gross. But, I had no where else to stay, so that is where I lived. The rooms were tiny, a single bed, maybe a sink in the room with cold water, and a window that faced an alley. There were bugs in the room - big ugly cockroaches. I remember leaving the room to go to work one night, and this big lady came up to me and started a fight. She said her boyfriend wanted me??? and I was to blame. I was just a kid and had to interest in whoever her boyfriend was. But that did not stop her. She fought me and we ended up partially on the street. I remember laying on the road, hurt and a bus rolling up almost right to me. It stopped before it ran over me, but boy was I ever scared. I ran and hid inside McDonalds and called my big sister to come get me. She drove all the way from Coquitlam but by then I was gone. I ran and hid down a stairwell - I did not want to get taken back home.
I must have been about 12 years old and was hanging out holding acid for the dealer on Granville Street. This big black limo pulled up, and an Asian man was inside. He motioned for me to come join him.I did not know what he wanted so I went. He said he would give me $100 if I went with him. That was ALOT of money for me. So I went. We went to a hotel room, a really nice hotel, and he did the same things my stepdad did to me. I just escaped into my dreamworld once again and pretended I was somewhere else. I left with the money and got a nicer room for a few days. And I ate real food - not food from a dumpster. I tried to forget by getting high.
Age 14, hanging out on Granville Street holding dope once again. The night was coming to a close, and the group I was with was heading to a hotel to party. I went with them. Once there, I noticed lots of people doing needles and acting strange. I wanted to try this. Nobody would let me. After everyone left, the one guy remaining (Steve) said he would show me what they were doing. Steve was probably about 25 or so. He shot me up that night and once he did everything went really strange and he looked like a lizard then I passed out. I woke up the next morning on the floor and Steve was gone. Not sure what he gave me but that was not a very fun experience.
12 years old, a runaway, living on the streets of Victoria. Crashing at one friend's place or another, until there were no more places to stay. I used to hitchhike a lot - I did not have bus fare, and when I needed to go somewhere I would stick out my thumb and hope for the best.
One time, a man - probably about 30 years old, picked me up and took me back to his place. He said he would feed me. Once we got there, he did not give me food. Instead he took me to his bedroom and did the same things to me that my stepfather would do. I remember laying on his bed, looking at the night table which held a picture of him and a very pretty woman - arms around each other. This was at the Gorge Road apartments in Victoria. When he was done, he gave me some money and sent me on my way. I felt so ashamed, and dirty. And hungry. I did not know what else to do so I returned to the flop house I was staying at on Princess Avenue.
Another time, I must have been 13 or 14. I had been in Vancouver with my then boyfriend. He said that he knew where we could get a car to drive around in, so I went with him. We ended up in a nice neighborhood and he took me to a truck that we hopped in and off we went. He had the keys so I thought it must be okay. About an hour later, after driving around, we saw the police behind us. They pulled us over, and arrested us for stealing a car. Stealing a car??? I thought he had permission. Off we went to the police station in Port Coquitlam. It may have been Coquitlam. They kept me for the night then released me in the morning. I had no money, nowhere to go. I headed out to the road and started hitch-hiking - trying to get back to downtown Vancouver where at least I knew some people. A car - a red Rogue (sp) picked me up. A man, about 40, big bushy beard, picked me up. He asked where I was going, then said he would take me downtown when I said I needed to go to Granvilled Street. He drove just a little ways before pulling off onto a dirt road by the river. I got scared. He said he wanted to show me the river. He parked the car, locked the doors, then offered me some cocaine. I tried to sniff it, but I blew out and it went everywhere. He got so mad. He pulled out a big knife, and sexually assaulted me. I was crying and so scared that he was going to stab me. He finished then drove me back to the middle of Port Coquitlam and pushed me out of the car. I was crying, terrified, and a store owner came out and called the police. They police came and took my statement. Eventually they found this guy, and because I had memorized his license plate (LGA 627???) number they were able to make an arrest. Long story short- when it came time to go to court - I went....he went....but the judge found him not guilty as the judge said since I was a 'woman of the world' and those were his exact words...that no crime was committed. Since I was a runaway, I guess it was okay for anyone to hurt me. I lost my faith in the justice system for good that day.
12 or 13 years old, living down on Granville Street as a runaway. Holding dope for the dealers at the McDonalds, and making enough money to get someone over 18 to rent me a room in one of the rundown hotels there. Easy enough, they paid for the room and I would jump on a dumpster in the back alley and climb up the fire escape to the room. First time was pretty scary, especially when I found the bathroom was not in my room but at the end of the hallway. It was disgusting. Garbage and needles were all over the floor, the toilets were overflowing, it was just gross. But, I had no where else to stay, so that is where I lived. The rooms were tiny, a single bed, maybe a sink in the room with cold water, and a window that faced an alley. There were bugs in the room - big ugly cockroaches. I remember leaving the room to go to work one night, and this big lady came up to me and started a fight. She said her boyfriend wanted me??? and I was to blame. I was just a kid and had to interest in whoever her boyfriend was. But that did not stop her. She fought me and we ended up partially on the street. I remember laying on the road, hurt and a bus rolling up almost right to me. It stopped before it ran over me, but boy was I ever scared. I ran and hid inside McDonalds and called my big sister to come get me. She drove all the way from Coquitlam but by then I was gone. I ran and hid down a stairwell - I did not want to get taken back home.
I must have been about 12 years old and was hanging out holding acid for the dealer on Granville Street. This big black limo pulled up, and an Asian man was inside. He motioned for me to come join him.I did not know what he wanted so I went. He said he would give me $100 if I went with him. That was ALOT of money for me. So I went. We went to a hotel room, a really nice hotel, and he did the same things my stepdad did to me. I just escaped into my dreamworld once again and pretended I was somewhere else. I left with the money and got a nicer room for a few days. And I ate real food - not food from a dumpster. I tried to forget by getting high.
Age 14, hanging out on Granville Street holding dope once again. The night was coming to a close, and the group I was with was heading to a hotel to party. I went with them. Once there, I noticed lots of people doing needles and acting strange. I wanted to try this. Nobody would let me. After everyone left, the one guy remaining (Steve) said he would show me what they were doing. Steve was probably about 25 or so. He shot me up that night and once he did everything went really strange and he looked like a lizard then I passed out. I woke up the next morning on the floor and Steve was gone. Not sure what he gave me but that was not a very fun experience.